A Framework for
Process Improvement
in Software Product
Management
Willem Bekkers
2 september 2010
E-mail: bekkers@cs.uu.nl
LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/willembekkers
Introduction
Market
Board
Sales
Development
Partners
R&D
Customers
Research Trigger
• Software Product Management is a key area within many
software companies
–
Fricker, S., et al. (2010) P. Berander (2007)
• Product manager is “mini-ceo” of an organization
–
Christof Ebert, et al. (2008)
• Lack of education
–
Weerd, et al. (2006)
• No extensive body of knowledge exists such as PMBOK and
SWEBOK
–
Project Management Institute (2000) Abran, et al. (2004)
• Problems arise when organizations want to professionalize
or move from selling customized software to standard
product selling
–
Artz (2010)
The SPM Competence Model
External
stakeholders
Software Product Management
Internal
stakeholders
Portfolio management
Market analysis
Product lifecycle
management
Partnering &
contracting
Sales
Product planning
Market
Company board
Product
roadmapping
Roadmap
intelligence
Core asset
roadmapping
Release planning
Research &
innovation
Customers
Scope change
management
Requirements
prioritization
Marketing
Build validation
Development
Partners
Release definition
Release definition
validation
Launch
preparation
Support
Requirements management
Requirements
gathering
Requirements
identification
Requirements
organizing
Services
The SPM Maturity Matrix
0
Requirements management
Requirements gathering
1
A
Requirements identification
Requirements organizing
Release management
Requirements prioritization
Release definition
Release definition validation
Scope change management
Release build validation
Launch preparation
Product management
Roadmap intelligence
Core asset roadmapping
Product roadmapping
Portfolio management
Market analysis
Partnering & contracting
Product lifecycle management
2
3
4
B
C
A
B
6
7
8
D
E
F
B
B
A
A
A
5
B
C
C
C
C
B
C
B
A
A
C
D
E
A
B
C
B
C
D
C
B
A
A
A
B
B
B
D
C
E
C
D
C
B
A
A
E
D
B
10
D
D
A
A
9
F
E
D
E
D
C
C
D
D
E
E
E
Capabilities
0
Requirements management
Requirements gathering
Requirements identification
Requirements organizing
Release management
Requirements prioritization
Release definition
1
2
A
3
4
B
C
A
B
6
7
8
D
E
F
B
B
A
A
A
5
B
C
C
9
C
C
10
D
D
E
D
E
Name
Requirement dependency linking
Release
definition
validation
A
B
C
Weight
High
Scope
A
C
Goal change management
The existence of requirement interdependencies
meansBthat requirements
interactDwith
Release build validation
B
C
and affect each other. Requirement dependencyAlinking prevents problems
that result
Launch preparationfrom these interdependencies,
A and therewith
B enables better
C
D
F
planning
of theE
Product managementdevelopment process.
Action intelligence
Dependencies between market and product
determined and
Roadmap
A requirements
B are C
D registered.
E
A dependency exists when a requirement demands
Core asset roadmapping
A a specificBaction of another
C
D
requirement.
E.g.
a
requirement
demands
that
another
requirement
be
implemented
too,
Product roadmapping
A
B
C
D
E
or that another requirement is not implemented in case of conflicting requirements. The
Portfolio management
linkage can be supported by using advanced techniques,
suchBas linguistic
engineering. E
Market analysis
A
C
D
Prerequisite(s)
RG:A
Partnering
& contracting
A
B
C
D
E
Reference(s)
Dahlstedt
&
Persson
(2003)
Product lifecycle management
A
B
C
D
E
Using the Maturity Matrix
• The currently implemented capabilities (bold & green)
• The current maturity level is 2
0
Product management
Roadmap intelligence
Core asset roadmapping
Product roadmapping
Portfolio management
Market analysis
Partnering & contracting
Product lifecycle management
1
2
3
4
A
5
6
B
C
B
C
A
A
B
A
A
A
B
B
B
7
8
9
D
C
E
D
C
10
D
E
D
C
C
D
D
E
E
E
Conclusions & Future research
Conclusions:
• There is a need for such a model
• Solid basis for Software Process Improvement
Future research:
• Further research into the effects of Situational Factors
• Further research to define the responsibilities in the grey
areas
• International validation of the models presented here
• Development of Assessment Method based on the models
presented here
• Further research to investigate the use of the Maturity
Matrix structure in other research areas